Chapter 57

At the same time, at the Lithard Duke's residence—

The atmosphere was bustling from early morning. It was a day of long-awaited celebration. Elina, who had woken up earlier than usual, was sitting at her desk in her room. It was still too early for breakfast. The servants had likely already risen and started their work, but if Elina went out, she might get in their way.

Suddenly, she turned around and saw the wedding dress prepared for her. A pure white dress. It wasn't overly ornate, but the carefully sewn embroidery was befitting of a bride entering the royal family. One of the embroidery patterns was unfamiliar. When she asked what it was, her father, the Duke of Lithard, only told her to ask Alvis.

"There must be some meaning to it."

Her father said she should ask after she entered the royal family. In other words, it was something a duke's daughter couldn't know. But that would change today. In a few hours, Elina would no longer be a duke's daughter.

Knock, knock.

"Miss Elina?"

"Sarah? I'm awake."

"Excuse me."

It seemed more time had passed than she realized, as Sarah entered the room. Seeing that Elina was already awake, Sarah smiled.

"Miss Elina couldn't sleep either?"

"Couldn't sleep? So you couldn't either?"

"I'm terribly embarrassed."

Sarah smiled a little awkwardly, and Elina smiled back, relieved that she wasn't the only one feeling nervous. She had been looking forward to this day, but she was also very nervous.

"Thinking about how you're leaving this house today makes me feel quite emotional."

"Hehe. I've known I was going to marry for over ten years."

"That's true, but... I never imagined I would feel this way on this day."

Marriage to the royal family had been decided when she became engaged to Jerald. Even though the groom wasn't Jerald, it shouldn't have changed anything. Yet, Elina sometimes felt it was strange. If the groom had been Jerald, she wouldn't have felt this way. She would have acted out of duty, as the daughter of the Duke of Lithard. Whether she could have smiled like this was another matter.

"Really, it's today, isn't it?"

"It is today. After breakfast, we'll dress you up so that the Crown Prince will be amazed."

"Thank you, Sarah."

Elina would probably only have time for a leisurely breakfast today. She was told to eat well, but after putting on the wedding dress, she would have to wear a corset, which would restrict her. Considering this, she couldn't eat much. Elina had a small appetite to begin with, and she ended up eating even less than usual for breakfast.

Back in her room, Elina was immediately taken to bathe by the maids, who scrubbed her thoroughly. Without a moment's rest, they massaged her and then quickly put the corset on her. Although Elina was already slim, the corset wasn't too tight. However, this was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and the maids were so determined that it felt even tighter than it actually was.

After putting on the corset, it was time to wear the wedding dress. Although she had tried it on during the fitting, this was the first time she was wearing the finished product. The lustrous fabric felt very pleasant to the touch. The dress wasn't overly frilly, which suited Elina's taste, and it felt almost wasteful to wear it only once.

"Really, it's a beautiful dress."

"Yes, it is. It was chosen by the Queen, the Duchess of Belfias, and the Crown Prince."

"Alvis too?"

"That's what I heard."

Alvis, who didn't seem particularly interested in women's dresses, had given his opinion on this one. Just knowing that made Elina's cheeks soften. If Alvis had chosen it, she wanted to be worthy of it.

"But... "

"What's wrong?"

"I can't wear this, can I?"

Elina took out the pendant and ring Alvis had given her. She couldn't wear the ring, but she had thought she could hide the pendant under her dress. However, the current dress had no place to hide it. If she wore it around her neck, it would be immediately noticeable. It wasn't that it didn't match the wedding dress, but it didn't seem appropriate.

"You really like them, don't you?"

"They are special... but..."

"Today, I will keep these for you. Please wear this instead."

Sarah presented Elina with a black box. Elina took it with both hands and slowly opened the lid. Inside was a necklace. It was clear that this wasn't something for everyday use. The silver chain was adorned with a small, pale purple gem. The stone gave off a warm, familiar power—mana.

"This—"

"I don't quite understand, but the Crown Prince said to wear this."

If Alvis had told her to wear it, she couldn't refuse. She took it and immediately put it on. She thought it might be noticeable because of its color, but the small stone didn't get in the way.

"Elina, I'm coming in."

"Yes!"

A voice called from outside the door. As the door opened, Elina's mother, the Duchess of Lithard, appeared. She thought she saw someone else behind her, but the door closed before she could see their face.

"Mother?"

"Only women are allowed in here. Even the father cannot enter."

‘That’s...’

The only sound from outside was her father's dejected voice. He had apparently come to see Elina, but her mother had stopped him.

"Mother, is that okay?"

"It's fine. Even the father should see the bride first. Of course, it's impossible with the Crown Prince."

"That's true."

"Show me, Elina. Show me the bride's beautiful appearance."

"Yes!"

Elina stood up, walked to her mother, and slowly turned around. Her preparations were almost complete. All that was left was to wait for the time to come.

"You look wonderful. Very beautiful. Congratulations, Elina. Be happy."

"Thank you, Mother."

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Thank you for reporting any typos or errors each time. I apologize for the many mistakes last time.

I will strive to improve in the future.